[Technical] Online attendance software

[RILEY, Bruce]

Thanks for that Roland. I will have a close look at the FirstClass
solution.

Bruce

 

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Bruce Riley

ICT Manager

Kew High School

1393 Burke Road

Kew East, VIC. 3102

Australia

 

Phone: 61 3 9859 8652

Fax:     61 3 9819 7880

________________________________

From: tech-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:tech-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Saturday, 2 June 2007 11:33 PM
To: Technical Discussion in Schools Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Technical] Online attendance software

 

Made sense to bolt our attendance system onto our timetable system. We
have one database with three points of data entry including a PDA system
that does the rounds to all rooms with a duty student, a web based
interface used by the school switchboard and first aid attendant, and
client software used by the time tabler / daily organizer / enrollment
registrar / year level coordinators. We get good training support,
prompt responses to telephone enquiries, regular bug fix releases, a
good ear towards feature requests such as SMS. There are other whistles
and bells, depending on the system that you finally end up with.
Surprisingly, we have had some interesting success using a less
documented feature of the the FirstClass SMS alert system to send e-mail
alerts to students who are absent from class without reason. 

As Kevork correctly notes, the biggest hurdle wasnt software, it is
changing the mindset and operational proceedures of the school. How this
is best done is hard to spell out as each school will have its own
cultural and rules for doing things. Running a database like this
requires increased rigor so that scheduled absences should be entered in
advance, preferably by a teacher aide each morning during period 0 and
running a late pass system. We also now ask that parents / older
students phone in or leave a message to report an absence in advance
that is promptly entered into the system (same as when teachers call in
reporting an illness or absence). When I mark the roll on the PDA, I
often only have to count and compare the numbers in my room with that
listed on the PDA.The student doing music, the student doing a VET
course, the student who called in sick and the student in the first aid
room are all listed thus on the PDA. The unexplained missing wh did not
pick up a late pass are probably truant, something we let the year level
coordinators sort out. 

Regards Roland

On 31/05/07, RILEY, Bruce <Bruce.RILEY at kew.vic.edu.au> wrote:

Hi all

We are investigating options for online attendance software. What are
schools using for this?

Our requirements (sorry this should read wish list) are a:

*       System that students can use to swipe their card when they
arrive late/leave early to/from school. VCE coordinators are
particularly keen on this as Kew runs a minimum attendance policy. Staff
could access it online and mark their roll each lesson

*         Link in with our current AD network so that only one database
is maintained

*         Hand held device could also access the system via wireless

*         Reporting

*         Generate SMS or emails to parents for non attendance

I know this has elements of 'Ultranet' but we are keen to implement a
system now.

If this has already been asked I apologise in advance.
 

Thanks

 

Bruce

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------

 

Bruce Riley

ICT Manager

Kew High School

1393 Burke Road

Kew East, VIC. 3102

Australia

 

Phone: 61 3 9859 8652

Fax:     61 3 9819 7880

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-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret
Mead _______________________________________________ 
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